Peach-pitter.



W. ECKLES. PEACH PITTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. l9l5.

1 1 59,575. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

' m4. H WITNESSES: A, Waz fi g ies, I 1? i l ,3 7rm ,u %n j ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANGCIRAPH CD., WASHINGTON, D. c.

earest WILLIAM ECKLES, OF I-IEMET, CALIFORNIA.

PEACH-PITTEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 15315.

Application filed February 8, 1915. Serial No. 6,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EonLEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hemet, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Peach-Fitters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for pitting fruit, and especially peaches, by which the fruit can be pitted conveniently, rapidly and economically.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken side view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion thereof in a position different from that in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a broken front view of the machine; Fig. 4: is a broken horizontal section thereof; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the spoon.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a standard, at the top of which is pivoted a lever 2, the rear arm of which is pivotally attached the upper end of a link 3, to the lower end of which link is pivotally attached a foot lever 6, pivoted to the frame, as shown at 7. However, the lever 3 can equally well be operated by power. A spring 8 operates to raise the lever after the front arm thereof has been depressed. To the end of the front arm of said lever 3 is pivoted the upper end of a stem 9, which slides in a guideway 11, rigidly secured to the standard. To said standard are also secured two parallel side pieces 12 having bearings 13 for gudgeons attached to plates 14-, which are secured by screws to the ends of a block 16. For the purpose of clamping a knife 17 therein, said block is made in two sections secured by bolts 18. Said block is rectangular in form, and in each of its sides is a cavity 19 to receive the peach or other fruit to be pitted. The knife secured between the two block sections has four blades 21, each of which extends outwardly from the block through the center of a cavity therein, and to a suitable height above the block. In the same plane as the blades of the knife, that is, transversely to the axis of the block, slots 22 are formed in the block on each side of each blade. Secured to the lower end of the stem is a forked slitter 23 so located that, in the reciprocation of the stem, it enters the slots at opposite sides of the uppermost blade.

Pivotally secured to opposite sides of the stern are the upper ends of spoons 24, normally pressed against the slitter by springs 6. A peach or other fruit having been impaled upon the uppermost knife blade, the

stem is caused to descend, and the forked slitter and the blade upon which it is impaled slit the peach. At the same time the spoons penetrate between the two halves of the peach, but on arriving at the peach stone they are forced apart by said stone against the pressure of the springs, which is prevented from moving downward with the peach on account of its abutment against the knife blade and pass over the stone and inclose it therebetween. The slitter now ascends, carrying with it the peach stone, and, in the ascent of the slitter with the stem, the block is given a quarter turn. This turning movement is effected by the engagement, with one of four notches 27 in a wheel 28 mounted on one of the gudgeons of the block of a hook 29 at the lower end of a spring pawl 31 extending from a shank 32 rigidly secured, as shown at 33, to the stem 9. The wheel is prevented from rotating backward by a spring dog 34 which engages each notch in turn. A spring 36, by entering one of four grooves 37 in the inner edge of the wheel, prevents said wheel from turning except during a portion of the ascent of the spring pawl when eflecting the partial rotation of the wheel, and also during the corresponding portion of its descent, when the block is prevented from turning by the engagement of the slitter with the knife blade. During these portions of the movement of the spring pawl, the spring 36 is pressed back out of the groove by means ofa cam 38 on the spring pawl which engages the spring 36 and presses it out of the groove, the back of the cam being supported by a flange 39 on the wheel.

As the stem rises, lugs 41 on the rear edges of the spoons are engaged by wedges 42 on the lower ends of spring fingers 43 extending from the guide 11, which wedges, by engaging said lugs, force said spoons apart and let the peach stone drop therefrom. The peach and peach stone are dropped on to any suitable separator which has holes therethrough suiliciently large to permit the peach stone to pass through the same, while preventing the passage of the two halves of the peach.

I claim 1. In a fruit pitter, a rotatable block having a plurality of cavities to receive fruit to be pitted, and a knife blade extending upwardly from the bottom of each cavity, said block having slits in said cavities, coplanar with the blades.

'2. In a fruit pitter, a rotatable block having a plurality of cavities to receive fruit to be pitted, and a knife blade extending upwardly from the bottom of each cavity and disposed in the plane of rotation of the block, said block having slits in said cavities, coplanar with the blades.

3. In a fruit pitter, a vertically reciprocable stem, guiding means therefor, a slitter secured to said stem forked to pass on each side of a knife blade, spoons pivotall v secured to said stem, springs pressing said spoons together, lugs extending from said 7 spoons,

and wedges on said guiding means arranged to engage said lugs to press the spoons apart.

4:. In a fruit pitter, a vertically reciprocable stem, guiding means therefor, a slitter secured to said stem forked to pass on each side of a knife blade, spoons pivotally secured to said stem, springs pressing said spoons together, and means for pressing the spoons apart as the stem rises.

In'testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. EoKLEs.

Witnesses:

LUEN A. ANDERSON, FRANCIS E. GAzzoLo.

Ccpiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner vof Patents.

Washington,D.0. V I 

